Healing chicken soup with shiitake, jujube and goji (Xianggu jitang)

1. Soak the dried shiitake in lukewarm water for 30 minutes, then squeeze out and remove the stems; strain and reserve the soaking water.

2. Joint the whole chicken, blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes and rinse.

3. In a large pot, cover the chicken with the cold water and the mushroom soaking water, add the sliced ginger and Shaoxing rice wine, bring to the boil and skim off the foam.

4. Add the mushrooms and jujubes and simmer, covered, over low heat for 2.5 hours.

5. Add the goji berries for the last 10 minutes, then season with salt.

6. Ladle the soup into bowls with the chicken, mushrooms and jujubes and serve piping hot.

Tip: In China it's cooked for the sick and for new mothers, and is considered a strengthening soup. Add the goji only at the end or they'll fall apart; if you have no jujubes, 2-3 dried dates will do.